Here's why the airy south Indian male-attire 'veshti' suited for Indian weather

Kudos to the Tamil Nadu government for its agile recovery from a move that had the potential to create a flap. Including the traditional airy south Indian male attire — the veshti — in its list of acceptable ‘formal’ clothes for office wear was a no-brainer, begging the question why the original order early last week directed men to wear stifling full-sleeved jackets and ties given the normally muggy weather of the region.

Was the bureaucracy, as usual, out of sync with the winds of change blowing in India’s sartorial scape? It is providential, then, that the woman chief secretary of Tamil Nadu swiftly issued a clarification, restoring respect to the veshti.

Most Indian women working in government offices, it may be noted, have not succumbed to fitted western wear so they are better suited to take the heat.


Indeed, as energy conservation is imperative, the new norm for formal office wear in India should be just the opposite. Substituting constrictive western clothing for cool traditional Indian attire for men would save crores of rupees in air-conditioning costs.

It may not be long before the Indowestern fusion south Indian ensemble of starched white shirt and veshti becomes an international fashion trend too. And given that dhoti-and-shirt was once common around the country, north Indian men should also take the cue.